The present invention relates to closure assemblies, in particular sliding closure assemblies such as patio doors, horizontal sliding windows and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sliding closure assembly with a ventilator integrated into the frame.
Sliding closure assemblies conventionally include a frame which consists of a head, a sill and two vertical jambs that support two or more panels of which one or more are horizontally sliding panels. Each such panel has a sash which includes a pair of horizontal rails and a pair of vertical stiles that surround and support one or more sheets of glazing material. The top and bottom rails of the panels are affixed to or guided in the head and the sill of the frame respectively. The sliding panels of a closure assembly usually further include a lock mechanism in one style for securing the panels in a closed condition.
Building regulations or customer requests frequently require the provision of a ventilator which is integrated into the closure assembly, especially if there is no other ventilation readily available in a room. The simplest way of providing ventilation using a closure assembly is to leave the sliding panel in a partially open condition. Although it is possible to provide a lock mechanism for securing a sliding panel in a partially open condition, such provision does not satisfactorily prevent break-ins and affords no protection against the intrusion of rain water.
Another common practice is the incorporation of a ventilator which replaces a portion of the glazing at the top or the side of a panel. However, such a ventilator obstructs the view through the panel, and results in an asymmetrical construction which lacks aesthetic appeal. This method also requires the use of customized glass panels and other parts which increase the cost of production.
Another approach to the problem has been to provide a gap between a subframe and the frame of a closure assembly along its top or sides to accommodate a ventilator. This approach yields a closure assembly which will not fit a rough opening built to accommodate a standard sliding closure assembly, unless the panels are reduced in size to compensate for the space lost to the subheader. Either way, production costs are increased and standards are sacrificed.
Ventilators are also incorporated in the sash of a panel by cutting a slot or boring holes through a rail or a stile of one or more panels, thereby maintaining a standard sized closure opening and avoiding any obstruction of the view. However, such ventilators greatly reduce the integrity and strength of the sash and the achievable volume of air flow through such ventilators is usually insufficient to meet building codes.
Thus, all the known prior art ventilators described above are either unattractive, require additional parts which raise production costs, fail to meet standards or reduce the strength and integrity of the sash.
For economy and aesthetics, it is desirable to integrate a ventilator into the head of the frame of a sliding closure assembly. British Patent No. 2,074.716 discloses a head for a sliding door or window frame having a ventilator section and an unventilated section. The ventilator section includes apertures to permit the flow of air from the outside to the inside though the frame head. The ventilated section of the frame is located above and alongside of the sliding panel of a horizontally sliding door or window. The frame head is an inverted channel having an inner and an outer wall. An insert is mounted in the frame head for guiding a sliding panel along the outside of the fixed panel. The insert includes a vertical wall and a horizontal wall. Apertures are provided in the vertical wall of the insert and either in the horizontal wall of the insert or the inner wall of the frame head. A shutter is provided for closing the apertures. The sliding panel is guided between the outer wall of the frame head and the vertical wall of the insert by guides in the form of plastic buttons located on both sides of the head rail of the sliding panel. Air enters between the outer wall of the head and the outer surface of the top rail of the sliding panel.
One disadvantage of the ventilator for a sliding window or door described above is that the ventilation capacity (cc. per minute) is insufficient to meet the requirements of some building codes. Another disadvantage is that weather stripping can only be applied to the inner surface of the top rail of the sliding panel. This does not reliably prevent the leakage of air around the sliding panel during inclement weather conditions. High winds may even cause rain water to seep around the top rail of the sliding panel and into the building. It is a further disadvantage that the sliding panel of this system must always be located outside of the fixed panel and is not readily convertible to a system having a sliding panel on the inside. In addition, the shutter for the ventilation apertures in the frame head or the insert is clearly visible. This gives the interior of the sliding window or door an asymmetrical appearance that is not aesthetically pleasing.